Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (Traditional Section 6), Region 5

Because more than half of all species currently listed as endangered or threatened spend at least part of their life cycle on privately owned lands, the Service recognizes that success in conserving species will ultimately depend on working cooperatively with landowners, communities, and tribes to foster voluntary stewardship efforts on private lands. States and Territories (hereafter, "States") play a key role in catalyzing these efforts. A variety of tools are available under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to help States and landowners plan and implement projects to conserve species. The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) provides grants to States to participate in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for candidate, listed, and recently recovered species. The ⿿Traditional⿝ Conservation Grants program provides financial assistance to States to implement conservation projects for candidate, listed, and recently recovered species. Funded activities have included, but are not limited to: habitat restoration, species status surveys, public education and outreach, captive propagation and reintroduction, nesting surveys, genetic studies, development of management plans, and post delisting monitoring. The CESCF programs are authorized through the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. 1531 - 534 et seq., as amended. The codified program regulations can be found at 50 CFR 81.